Latest articles from Jan Cienski

As the Swiss National Bank removed its cap against the euro, the risk of borrowing in foreign currencies was made clear, as countries that had been busily borrowing in the Swiss franc reeled at the impact of its sudden appreciation.

With inflation still high following a financial crisis in 2011, there are growing signs that Belarusian banks may need to brace for a further round of currency depreciation and asset quality deterioration.

For the past five years, Poland's economy has been something of an anomaly in Europe, maintaining a healthy level of growth despite the widespread economic malaise surrounding it. But with many of the country's banks facing steep losses from foreign exchange mortgages and construction sector loans, and with parent banks looking to drain liquidity from their Polish operations, cracks are starting to show.

One of the world’s fastest-growing regions during the boom years, eastern Europe became one of the major victims of the credit crunch as aggressive lending strategies turned sour. But there are still plenty of banks in a position to thrive. Writer Jan Cienski in Warsaw.